Byara District () is a district in the

Halabja Governorate Halabja Governorate (, ) is a governorate in the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan Region in Iraq. The governorate was established in 2014, splitting off from Sulaymaniyah Governorate and becoming the fourth governorate in the Kurdistan Region ...

, in the

Kurdistan Region Kurdistan Region (KRI) is a semi-autonomous Federal regions of Iraq, federal region of the Iraq, Republic of Iraq. It comprises four Kurds, Kurdish-majority governorates of Arabs, Arab-majority Iraq: Erbil Governorate, Sulaymaniyah Governorate ...

of Iraq. It spans the mountainous Hawraman region along Iraq's border with Iran. Its population is composed of predominantly

Kurdish people Kurds (), or the Kurdish people, are an Iranian peoples, Iranic ethnic group from West Asia. They are indigenous to Kurdistan, which is a geographic region spanning southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northeastern Syri ...

following

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

. The district’s economy is anchored in

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

, supplemented by tourism. Its capital is the city of Byara.

Geography

Byara District is located in the

, in the Hawraman moutains in the

along Iraq's border with Iran. The district is characterized by steep valleys and elevated terrain. Situated amid mountain slopes and valleys, the district is interspersed with various waterfalls, cliff side settlements, and terraced farming plots. Seasonal snowfall and cold winters are common in the region. Its capital is the city of Byara, which forms the major cultural and economic center.

Demographics and economy

Estimated population reports describe about 4,000 residents, including mixed communities across Byara and nearby villages. Most of them are Kurdish following

, who speak the Hawrami Kurdish dialect, and have strong cultural connections to Iran’s Kurdistan across the border. The economy of Byara is dependent on

and the district is known for its

walnuts A walnut is the edible seed of any tree of the genus ''Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''. They are accessory fruit because the outer covering of the fruit is technically an invo ...

, pomegranates, and

figs The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of tree or shrub in the flowering plant family Moraceae, native to the Mediterranean region, together with western and southern Asia. It has been cultivated since ancient times and i ...

. Local hospitality and tourism, along with traditional crafts contribute to further commerce. Mountain roadways link Byara to Halabja and

Sulaymaniyah Sulaymaniyah or Slemani (; ), is a city in the east of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and is the capital of the Sulaymaniyah Governorate. It is surrounded by the Azmar (Ezmer), Goizha (Goyje) and Qaiwan (Qeywan) Mountains in the northeast, Bara ...

, though subject to closures during winter snowfall. Local taxis and minibuses serve both residents and tourists. Infrastructure improvements including new roads, health centers, and sewage systems have been built in the 2020s.

References

Geography of Iraqi Kurdistan Districts of Halabja Province {{Districts of Iraq